Bicycle seat having flexible suspension platform for supporting buttocks of bicyclist

Abstract

A bicycle seat employs a suspension platform that provides yieldable flexible support of the weight of a bicyclist through contact primarily with the buttocks rather than the crotch of the bicyclist. The suspension platform is formed by a triangular-shaped flexible membrane attached to and extending over and between rigid rear cross and front nose support members mounted respectively to a front end and a pair of rear ends of a U-shaped frame member such that the membrane is held in a taut flat condition under tension so as to provide the flexible support of the bicyclist's buttocks. The membrane is constructed of an inelastic fabric material having a pair of opposite side wing sheets and a longitudinal central band all made of longitudinal strands extending parallel to one another and held together by cross strands interwoven with the longitudinal strands. The longitudinal strands of the side wing sheets extend generally parallel to opposite side edges of the triangular-shaped membrane and in a rear-to-front converging angular relationship to opposite side edges of the longitudinal central band so as to underlie the bicyclist's buttocks to support the weight of the bicyclist through contact of the side wing sheets with the buttocks rather than contact of the longitudinal central band with t e crotch of the bicyclist.

I claim: 
     
       1. A bicycle seat, comprising: (a) a rear cross support member defining a pair of laterally spaced passageways, each of said passageways being open at a forward end and aligned generally forwardly from said rear cross support member;   (b) a front nose support member having front and rear ends and defining an unthreaded arcuate slot extending into said front nose support member from said rear end thereof, said unthreaded arcuate slot being open at said rear end of said front nose support member and terminating at a location therein spaced from said front end thereof;   (c) an inelastic flexible membrane having an upper surface and a pair of opposite side wing sheets provided together in a generally triangular configuration and extending in opposite angular relationships to and in opposite directions away from a longitudinal center of seat, the inelastic flexible membrane defining a rear base portion and a front apex portion, said inelastic flexible membrane at said rear base portion extending over and anchored about said rear cross support structure and at said front apex portion extending over and anchored about said front nose support member;   (d) a layer of padding applied to and attached on said upper surface of said inelastic flexible membrane and extending between and anchored about said rear cross support structure and said front nose support member; and   (e) a frame member extending between and mounting said rear cross support member and said front nose support member such that a predetermined tension is applied to said inelastic flexible membrane holding said inelastic flexible membrane in a taut condition extending between said rear cross support member and said front nose support member for supporting the buttocks of a bicyclist on said layer of padding applied on said upper surface of said inelastic flexible membrane forwardly of and adjacent to said rear cross support member, said frame member having a forward U-shaped bight portion slidably inserted into said slot in said front nose support member and a pair of leg portions merging from said forward U-shaped bight portion and extending rearwardly and terminating at rear ends inserted into said respective passageways in said rear cross support member.   
     
     
       2. The bicycle seat of claim 1 wherein said layer of padding is thicker on portions of said flexible membrane adapted to underlie the buttocks region of the bicyclist than on a central portion of said flexible membrane adapted to underlie the crotch region of the bicyclist so as to define an upper depression in said central portion of said layer of padding. 
     
     
       3. The bicycle seat of claim 1 wherein said side wing sheets of said inelastic flexible membrane are made of a multiplicity of longitudinal strands extending parallel to one another and held together by another multiplicity of cross strands closely interwoven with said longitudinal strands. 
     
     
       4. The bicycle seat of claim 3 wherein said inelastic flexible membrane further has a longitudinal central band also made of said closely interwoven longitudinal and cross strands and extending between said front nose support member and a middle portion of said rear cross support member such that said longitudinal strands of said longitudinal central band are fixedly secured at opposite ends to said front nose support member and said rear cross support member. 
     
     
       5. The bicycle seat of claim 1 wherein said rear cross support member, front nose support member and flexible membrane are molded as a unit, said rear cross support member being rotatable from a rearward extending position located rearwardly of said flexible membrane to a forwardly extending position underlying a rear edge portion of said flexible membrane. 
     
     
       6. The bicycle seat of claim 1 wherein rearward portions of said leg portions of said frame member have external threads and adjustment nuts threaded thereon that are adjustable to selectively increase or decrease the distance between said rear cross support member and front nose support member and thereby correspondingly increase or decrease said predetermined tension in said inelastic flexible membrane. 
     
     
       7. A bicycle seat, comprising: (a) a rear cross support member having an upper side and a pair of laterally spaced sockets, each of said sockets protruding downwardly and forwardly from said upper side and defining a passageway open at a forward end thereof;   (b) a front nose support member having front and rear ends, a top surface extending between said front and rear ends, and a slot extending into said front nose support member from said rear end thereof, said slot being open at said rear end of said front nose support member and terminating at a location therein spaced from said front end thereof, said front nose support member being formed by separate rear and front bodies, said rear body having spaced apart front and rear vertical surfaces and having a portion of said top surface extending between said front and rear vertical surfaces;   (c) a flexible membrane having a generally triangular configuration providing a rear base portion and a front apex portion, said flexible membrane at said rear base portion being fixedly attached on said upper side of said rear cross support structure, said flexible membrane at said front apex portion being fixedly attached on said top surface of said front nose support member; and   (d) a frame member extending between and mounting said rear cross support member and said front nose support member such that a predetermined tension is applied to said flexible membrane holding said flexible membrane in a taut condition extending between said rear cross support member and said front nose support member for supporting the buttocks of a bicyclist on said flexible membrane forwardly of and adjacent to said rear cross support member, said frame member being generally U-shaped and having a forward bight portion inserted into said slot in said front nose support member and a pair of leg portions merging from said bight portion and extending rearwardly and terminating at rear ends inserted into said respective passageways of said laterally spaced sockets in said rear cross support member.   
     
     
       8. The bicycle seat of claim 7 wherein said rear cross support member has top and rear portions merging with one another and being of a curved shape in cross-section, said sockets being attached on a lower side of said top portion and a front side of said rear portion, each of said sockets protruding downwardly from said top portion and forwardly from said rear portion. 
     
     
       9. The bicycle seat of claim 7 wherein said slot extends into said rear body and is open at said rear vertical surface of said rear body and terminates at said location spaced from said front vertical surface of said rear body, said front body being disposed in front of said rear body and having a curved forward surface providing a continuation of said top surface of said rear body, said front body also having a rear vertical surface lying flush against said front vertical surface of said rear body. 
     
     
       10. The bicycle seat of claim 7 wherein said frame member also includes a cross bar portion extending between and attached to said leg portions forwardly of said rear ends thereof. 
     
     
       11. The bicycle seat of claim 7 further comprising: a layer of padding applied to an upper surface of said flexible membrane.   
     
     
       12. The bicycle seat of claim 7 further comprising: a covering sheet of flexible stretchable material fitted over said layer of padding and said flexible membrane and secured to a lower surface of said flexible membrane.   
     
     
       13. The seat of claim 7 wherein said frame member is made of a substantially rigid but forceably springy material that permits temporary flexing and deforming of said frame member to allow insertion and withdrawal of said opposite rear ends and said front bight into and from said sockets and said slot in said rear cross support member and said front nose support member. 
     
     
       14. The bicycle seat of claim 7 wherein said flexible membrane is constructed of a substantially inelastic fabric material having a pair of opposite side wings and an elongated longitudinal central band. 
     
     
       15. A bicycle seat, comprising: a rear cross support member having an upper side and a pair of laterally spaced sockets, each of said sockets protruding downwardly and forwardly from said upper side and defining a passageway open at a forward end thereof;   (b) a front nose support member having front and rear ends, a top surface extending between said front and rear ends, and a slot extending into said front nose support member from said rear end thereof, said slot being open at said rear end of said front nose support member and terminating at a location therein spaced from said front end thereof;   (c) a flexible membrane having a generally triangular configuration providing a rear base portion and a front apex portion, said flexible membrane at said rear base portion being fixedly attached on said upper side of said rear cross support structure, said flexible membrane at said front apex portion being fixedly attached on said top surface of said front nose support member; and   (d) a frame member extending between and mounting said rear cross support member and said front nose support member such that a predetermined tension is applied to said flexible membrane holding said flexible membrane in a taut condition extending between said rear cross support member and said front nose support member for supporting the buttocks of a bicyclist on said flexible membrane forwardly of and adjacent to said rear cross support member, said frame member being generally U-shaped and having a forward bight portion inserted into said slot in said front nose support member and a pair of lea portions merging from said bight portion and extending rearwardly and terminating at rear ends inserted into said respective passageways of said laterally spaced sockets in said rear cross support member;   (e) said flexible membrane being constructed of a substantially inelastic fabric material having a pair of opposite side wing sheets and an elongated longitudinal central band, all of said side wing sheets and said longitudinal central band of said flexible membrane being made of a multiplicity of longitudinal strands extending parallel to one another and held together by another multiplicity of cross strands closely interwoven with said longitudinal strands, said longitudinal central band of said flexible membrane extending between said front nose support member and a middle portion of said rear cross support member such that said longitudinal strands of said longitudinal central band are fixedly secured at opposite ends to said front nose support member and said rear cross support member;   (f) said opposite side wing sheets of said flexible membrane extending between opposite side edges of said longitudinal central band and opposite end portions of said rear cross support member extending in opposite directions from said middle portion thereof such that said longitudinal strands of said side wing sheets are fixedly secured at opposite ends to said central band and said rear cross support member whereby said longitudinal strands of said side wing sheets are thusly held in said taut condition under tension extending generally parallel to opposite sides of said flexible membrane and in a rear-to-front converging angular relationship to said opposite side edges of said longitudinal central band so as to underlie the buttocks region of the bicyclist so that the weight of the bicyclist be supported by said side wing sheets of said flexible membrane through contact with the buttocks region rather than with the crotch region of the bicyclist.   
     
     
       16. The bicycle seat of claim 15 further comprising: a layer of padding applied to an upper surface of said flexible membrane, said layer of padding being thicker in regions thereof overlying said side wings of said flexible membrane than in a corresponding region thereof overlying at least a portion of said longitudinal central band of said flexible membrane.   
     
     
       17. A bicycle seat, comprising: (a) a rear cross support member having an upper side and a pair of laterally spaced sockets, each of said sockets protruding downwardly and forwardly from said upper side and defining a passageway open at a forward end thereof;   (b) a front nose support member having front and rear ends, a top surface extending between said front and rear ends, and a slot extending into said front nose support member from said rear end thereof, said slot being open at said rear end of said front nose support member and terminating at a location therein spaced from said front end thereof;   (c) a flexible membrane of substantially inelastic material having a generally triangular configuration providing a rear base portion and a front apex portion, said flexible membrane at said rear base portion being fixedly attached on said upper side of said rear cross support structure, said flexible membrane at said front apex portion being fixedly attached on said top surface of said front nose support member; and   (d) a frame member extending between and mounting said rear cross support member and said front nose support member such that a predetermined tension is applied to said flexible membrane holding said flexible membrane in a taut condition extending between said rear cross support member and said front nose support member for supporting the buttocks of a bicyclist on said flexible membrane forwardly of and adjacent to said rear cross support member;   (e) said flexible membrane being constructed of a substantially inelastic fabric material having a pair of opposite side wing sheets and a longitudinal central band, all of said side wing sheets and said longitudinal central band of said flexible membrane being made of a multiplicity of longitudinal strands extending parallel to one another and held together by another multiplicity of cross strands interwoven with said longitudinal strands, said longitudinal central band of said flexible membrane extending between said front nose support member and a middle portion of said rear cross support member such that said longitudinal strands of said longitudinal central band are fixedly secured at opposite ends to said front nose support member and said rear cross support member, said opposite side wing sheets of said flexible membrane extending between opposite side edges of said longitudinal central band and opposite end portions of said rear cross support member extending in opposite directions from said middle portion thereof such that said longitudinal strands of said side wing sheets are fixedly secured at opposite ends to said central band and said rear cross support member whereby said longitudinal strands of said side wing sheets are thusly held in said taut condition under tension extending generally parallel to opposite sides of said flexible membrane and in a rear-to-front converging angular relationship to said opposite side edges of said longitudinal central band so as to underlie the buttocks region of the bicyclist such that the weight of the bicyclist is supported by said side wing sheets of said flexible membrane through contact with the buttocks region rather than by said longitudinal central band through contact with the crotch region of the bicyclist.   
     
     
       18. The bicycle seat of claim 17 further comprising: a layer of padding applied to an upper surface of said flexible membrane.   
     
     
       19. The bicycle seat of claim 18 wherein said layer of padding is thicker in regions thereof overlying said side wings of said flexible membrane adapted to underlie the buttocks region of the bicyclist than in a corresponding region thereof overlying at least a portion of said longitudinal central band of said flexible membrane adapted to underlie the crotch region of the bicyclist. 
     
     
       20. The bicycle seat of claim 18 further comprising: a covering sheet of flexible stretchable material fitted over said layer of padding and said flexible membrane and secured to a lower surface of said flexible membrane.   
     
     
       21. A bicycle seat, comprising: (a) a rear cross support member having an upper side and a pair of laterally spaced sockets, each of said sockets protruding downwardly and forwardly from said upper side and defining a passageway open at a forward end thereof;   (b) a front nose support member having front and rear ends, a top surface extending between said front and rear ends, and a slot extending into said front nose support member from said rear end thereof, said slot being open at said rear end of said front nose support member and terminating at a location therein spaced from said front end thereof;   (c) a flexible membrane of substantially inelastic fabric material having an upper surface and a pair of opposite side wing sheets and an elongated longitudinal central band provided in a generally triangular configuration defining a rear base portion and a front apex portion, said inelastic flexible membrane at said rear base portion being fixedly attached on said upper side of said rear cross support structure, said inelastic flexible membrane at said front apex portion being fixedly attached on said top surface of said front nose support member;   (d) a layer of padding applied and attached on said upper surface of said inelastic flexible membrane and extending between said rear cross support structure and said front nose support member; and   (e) a frame member extending between and mounting said rear cross support member and said front nose support member such that a predetermined tension is applied to said inelastic flexible membrane holding said inelastic flexible membrane in a taut condition extending between said rear cross support member and said front nose support member for supporting the buttocks of a bicyclist on said layer of padding applied on said upper surface of said inelastic flexible membrane forwardly of and adjacent to said rear cross support member, said frame member being generally U-shaped and having a forward bight portion inserted into said slot in said front nose support member and a pair of leg portions merging from said bight portion and extending rearwardly and terminating at rear ends partially inserted into said respective passageways of said laterally spaced sockets in said rear cross support member, said rear ends of said leg portions of said frame member having external threads and adjustment nuts threaded thereon that are adjustable to selectively increase or decrease the distance between said rear cross support member and front nose support member and thereby correspondingly increase or decrease said predetermined tension in said inelastic flexible membrane.